By Micheal Chukwuebuka, Reporting
FOLLOWING the devastating floods and landslides that claimed the lives of over 4,000 people in North Korea, the country’s leader, Kim Jong Un, ordered the execution of 30 government officials.
The officials were charged with corruption and dereliction of duty after failing to find solutions to the disasters, according to TV Chosun, a South Korean outlet.
Stonix News gathered that the flooding struck the Chagang province in July, displacing more than 15,000 people and causing widespread destruction.
The northwestern city of Sinuiju and the neighbouring Uiju were particularly hard-hit, with over 4,100 homes, 7,410 acres of farmland, and vital infrastructure, including roads, buildings, and railway lines, severely damaged.
According to the Independent, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un reportedly ordered harsh penalties for the officials deemed responsible for the inadequate disaster response.
The North Korean Central News Agency said that authorities were instructed to “strictly punish” those accountable.
An official within the Kim regime told our source that 20 to 30 high-ranking cadres in the flood-stricken areas were executed late last month.
However, the report has yet to be independently verified, raising questions about the extent and accuracy of the information emerging from the secretive state.
After devastating floods, it was gathered that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, declared that the country would not accept any international aid.
However, he ordered officials to relocate thousands of displaced residents to the capital, Pyongyang, where they would receive better care and support.
Meanwhile, the government anticipated that the rebuilding efforts would take two to three months, during which time it planned to support nearly 15,400 vulnerable people in Pyongyang.
According to TV Chosun, Mr Kim dismissed a senior official, Kang Bong-hoon, from his position as the provincial party committee Secretary for Chagang Province.
According to reports, North Korea has a history of public executions, with an average of 10 occurring annually before the COVID-19 pandemic.
The number has reportedly increased to over 100 annually, attributed to North Korea’s unstable economy, international sanctions, and the impact of natural disasters, according to Yang Moo-jin, president of the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul.
What's your reaction?
